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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NOVEMBER 1, 2016: Carneal Simmons Contemporary Art is pleased to announce the opening receptions for two artist solo exhibitions on Saturday, November 19, 2016 from 5:00 to 8:30 PM. The exhibitions will feature new works from Dallas based painter Lisa Cardenas during her show entitled Silence is Home and Portland based painter Yelizaveta Nersesova for her show entitled Women/Drifter/Earth/Body. Yelizaveta Nersesova will also host an artist talk and preview on Friday, November 18 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. The exhibition will conclude on February 11, 2017.

Yelizaveta Nersesova ‘WOMAN/DRIFTER/EARTH/BODY’ The current body of work is fueled by my experience of Argentine Tango… as a particular dance form, as a culturally specific way of life, as an ideology, as a metaphor for life, as a historical record of political, technological, psychological and biological evolution. In the past two years Argentine Tango became for me a physical and poetic field where the most dynamic aspects of my biology, culture, and history play themselves out.

My work is a visual record, a sort of topography, of the multidimensional, emotional journey that I experience internally as I dance. Within my dance I enter a special, timeless state of embodiment. In this state the boundaries of my body dissolve and I undergo a process of transmutation, merging with my partner into a “super-individual unit.” Here, with my eyes closed, my senses reach through another’s body, my awareness is amplified, navigating through space as a unique eight limbed organism, driven by the music. Here there is no linear time, everything takes place at once and everything organizes itself perfectly. Here I am nobody and many different identities at once. Here I shape shift… woman, drifter, earth, body… Each entity composed of countless characters and each character holding a particular emotional blueprint within my consciousness. As I dance I am an observer, taking in the history of myself, as a human being, as an animal, as an organism.

My passion for travel and exploration stems from my the wonderful and adventurous childhood. I was born in Iran and spent my early years in Zambia, Africa where my parents worked at the Russian embassy. In the early 1990s we moved back to Russia where we stayed until 1996. My father’s work took us to Dallas, Texas where I spent the next 18 years. After finishing high school I pursued a double major in studio art and art history at the University of North Texas. Upon receiving my BFA I went on to complete an MFA program in studio art at Southern Methodist University and an MA in art history from University of North Texas. It was during this time that I got introduced to yoga, meditation, dance, and other movement modalities which have become a major influence in my work as an artist and teacher. In the spring of 2014 I moved to Portland, OR, where I began teaching at Pacific Northwest College of Art. In Portland I have delved further into the expressive and healing power of dance within Argentine tango, Blues, and contact improvisation.

Lisa Cardenas ‘Silence is Home’ In the passing of a loved one – silence comforts me.

Silence is my remedy; it begins at the point of departure. The absence of sound reveals the conduit to the memories of the past. My paintings reflect my healing journey. The painting “Silence” depicts the attempt to fill the void with overpowering noise. Only to discover that true healing comes through silence. With every painting completed, there came a deeper calm. My abstract paintings are characterized by bold strokes, and numerous layers using strong colors befitting of the intimate emotions depicted. In all…silence is home.

A graduate of The University of North Texas (UNT), she is a member of Irving Arts Center, Texas Sculpture Association, MutualArt.com, Creative Arts Center in Dallas, Texas and Dang! (Dallas Artistic Networking Group). Lisa continues to express herself through the mediums of mixed media, pencil, charcoal, pastels, watercolors, oil, acrylic, print, sculpture, and collage. Lisa M. Cardenas currently holds a Master of Fine Arts and Technology from The University of Texas at Dallas.

Carneal Simmons Contemporary Art is located at 1415 Slocum Street, Ste 105 in the Dallas Design District. Gallery hours are Noon to 5:00 PM, Tuesday through Saturday and by appointment. Carneal Simmons Contemporary Art seeks to advance artistic excellence, innovation, and creativity to enrich the quality of life for individuals and communities at large through the placement and exhibition of contemporary art. Check out www.carnealsimmons.com for further details.